The idea behind the salad challenge is that I’m challenging you (and myself) to make an enormous green salad and some homemade dressing to go with it. If you store the salad and dressing separately in the refrigerator, you’ll have salad to last you all week long. I find that I eat a lot more greens and veggies this way, and I’m more likely to grab salad as a snack than a regrettable handful of chips.

I’ve enjoyed quite a few renditions of this salad over the past few months. It was inspired by a local restaurant called Taco Republic’s “Al Verde” salad, which includes Tuscan kale, roasted golden beets, and mayo-based dressing. I always get their salad to balance out the queso and chips I inevitably-but-not-regrettably order beforehand.

I ultimately decided on some ingredients that are a little easier to find at a regular grocery store and prepare for my salad. Freshly toasted pepitas offer a savory, nutty crunch, and creamy feta and avocado make this salad irresistible. This salad isn’t the quickest salad you’ll ever make, but it pays off in sheer quantity and flavor.

I also made my dressing lighter, although it’s still deliciously creamy, thanks to an olive oil and lime juice emulsion plus a tablespoon of tahini (which is optional). The dressing is based on the jalapeño-lime dressing in my cookbook (page 53). In the book, I offered four of my favorite make-ahead salad dressings, plus a simple five-step guide to creating an epic salad. You might want a copy (wink).

]]>https://cookieandkate.com/2017/mexican-green-salad-recipe/feed/9https://cookieandkate.com/2017/mexican-green-salad-recipe/How to Make Tzatzikihttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CookieAndKate/~3/bEz7sUvGDKQ/
https://cookieandkate.com/2017/how-to-make-tzatziki/#commentsThu, 10 Aug 2017 19:53:47 +0000https://cookieandkate.com/?p=25599Tzatziki! Tsaht-ZEE-kee! Otherwise known as that yogurt and cucumber sauce you love at Greek restaurants but worry about mispronouncing (hear the pronunciation here). Tzatziki is a refreshing,…

Tzatziki! Tsaht-ZEE-kee! Otherwise known as that yogurt and cucumber sauce you love at Greek restaurants but worry about mispronouncing (hear the pronunciation here). Tzatziki is a refreshing, chilled sauce or dip made simply with yogurt, drained cucumber, olive oil, fresh herbs (usually mint or dill), garlic, lemon juice and salt.

I tend to associate tzatziki with Greek food, but you’ll find it served across the Mediterranean and Middle East, sometimes under different names or in slightly different forms. Tzatziki is often served with grilled meats and gyros, but I can’t think of a grilled or roasted vegetable it wouldn’t play nicely with. Bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, asparagus and green beans are all fair game. I might even slather it on grilled corn on the cob. Why not?

You can also serve up some tzatziki with your next appetizer spread. It would go great with toasted pita wedges, crisp raw vegetables, hummus, olives, cheese and crackers. Its many uses don’t end at cook-outs and cheese plates, though.

]]>https://cookieandkate.com/2017/how-to-make-tzatziki/feed/24https://cookieandkate.com/2017/how-to-make-tzatziki/Crunchy Thai Peanut & Quinoa Saladhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CookieAndKate/~3/_eT6VdBlyzQ/
https://cookieandkate.com/2017/thai-peanut-quinoa-salad-recipe/#commentsTue, 08 Aug 2017 19:26:08 +0000https://cookieandkate.com/?p=25567I tend to keep to myself, especially in yoga class. It’s not a very social form of exercise, you know? Last year, when I walked into my…

I tend to keep to myself, especially in yoga class. It’s not a very social form of exercise, you know? Last year, when I walked into my usual Tuesday evening yoga class and my instructor shouted, “COOKIE AND KATE,” I froze. Kim, a regular in the class, had learned about my blog through her co-worker, and she said, “I know her! I go to yoga with her!”

Then Kim told Christina, the teacher, and then everyone found out. Including Amie, one of my favorite instructors, who is great friends with Kate Kasbee of Well Vegan. Kate lives in Chicago and was working on a cookbook called Frugal Vegan at the time.

Through the Amie-Kate connection, I got a sneak peek at Frugal Vegan and wrote a blurb for the back cover. “Frugal Vegan offers an incredible array of fresh and simple vegan recipes. Every single one of them manages to be easy to make, affordable and accessible, too.”

Kate came to town for Amie’s birthday party, so I met her for drinks, and a giant green bug landed in her herbed green cocktail. Are you still following? I can’t make this stuff up.

Kate and I bonded over the trials and tribulations of cookbook-making, our love for our funny-looking pups (meet Rex), and the green bug experience. We practiced our half-moon poses at Amie’s backyard birthday party the next day. Maybe I shouldn’t be so shy about my work, since it opens so many fun doors.

]]>https://cookieandkate.com/2017/thai-peanut-quinoa-salad-recipe/feed/87https://cookieandkate.com/2017/thai-peanut-quinoa-salad-recipe/Mango-Rita Green Smoothiehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CookieAndKate/~3/p-P1JnIIq0k/
https://cookieandkate.com/2017/mango-pineapple-green-smoothie/#commentsSat, 05 Aug 2017 11:44:10 +0000https://cookieandkate.com/?p=25469I’m still giggling about the time I shared a green smoothie on Snapchat and one of my good guy friends told me it looked totally disgusting. That’s…

I’m still giggling about the time I shared a green smoothie on Snapchat and one of my good guy friends told me it looked totally disgusting. That’s what good friends are for, right? I laughed because I was ninety-percent confident that he would have loved it if he had actually tried it.

It was mostly made of raspberries, but I added some spinach for some extra nutrients. While the raspberry-red and spinach-green colors didn’t combine to produce the most appetizing shade of frozen treat, it was nutritious and seriously delicious.

I’ll never get on the expensive fresh juice bandwagon, but smoothies are a great way to get some extra servings of fruit (and even some greens). With smoothies, as opposed to juice, you get all that goodness without losing the fiber content, which keeps blood sugar levels stable.

When I discovered that I could portion smoothie ingredients in a mason jar or bag to blend later, I started making a lot more smoothies at home. I’ve been rotating through the three make-ahead green smoothies in my book, but it’s about time to change things up.

I recently got a chance to chat with Jen from Simple Green Smoothies. She’s a pioneer of the green smoothie concept. Somehow, I’d never gotten my hands on a copy of her book of the same name, so she offered to send me a copy. It’s beautifully designed and photographed, with over 100 recipes for green smoothies of all varieties—green smoothies for beginners and kids, post-workout, dessert, and even green smoothie bowls.

]]>https://cookieandkate.com/2017/mango-pineapple-green-smoothie/feed/31https://cookieandkate.com/2017/mango-pineapple-green-smoothie/Chilaquiles Verdes with Baked Tortilla Chipshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CookieAndKate/~3/K5mbDBmywL0/
https://cookieandkate.com/2017/chilaquiles-verdes-recipe/#commentsWed, 02 Aug 2017 19:00:27 +0000https://cookieandkate.com/?p=25433I travelled all the way to Mexico City last month in search of the best chilaquiles, tacos and quesadillas I could find. I found all of the…

I travelled all the way to Mexico City last month in search of the best chilaquiles, tacos and quesadillas I could find. I found all of the above, plus quite a few new-to-me Mexican combinations of cheese, flatbread and cactus or mushrooms.

On our last morning there, I walked to the loveliest French-Mexican café down the street called Lardo and ordered chilaquiles verdes. Chilaquiles are a traditional Mexican breakfast made with tortilla chips simmered in sauce (green or red). I happily sat at the bar solo, sipping my cappuccino, admiring all of the copper design details, eavesdropping on the American family nearby, and imagining how fun it might be to travel with my own family someday.

Then my chilaquiles arrived, and all focus shifted to the gorgeous food placed before me. I didn’t know that tortilla chips and salsa could be so beautiful, but these were piled high and covered with dollops of queso fresco, fresh green cilantro leaves and lots of creamy diced avocado. (No egg; apparently I was supposed to order that separately, but I loved them as is).

The chips were perfectly tender, not soggy or too poky. The salsa tasted super fresh, and wasn’t overpowered by the flavor of fried chips. I’ve read that the sauce for chilaquiles varies by region (sometimes it’s red), but I think that green sauce is more traditional in Mexico City. Those chilaquiles tasted as good as they looked, and I vowed to recreate them promptly when I got home.

Which I did, opting to bake my tortilla chips rather than using store-bought or frying my own (big pots of oil scare me). I also made my favorite salsa verde. I tried a variety of toppings and landed on a combination of feta (in lieu of queso fresco or Cotija), red onion (for some color and heat), fresh cilantro, fried eggs (optional), and, of course, avocado.

I carefully picked out just-ripe avocado at the store, and then I forgot to add it for the photos. I went all the way to Mexico City for this chilaquiles recipe, and I forgot to add the avocado. Head smack!

]]>https://cookieandkate.com/2017/chilaquiles-verdes-recipe/feed/43https://cookieandkate.com/2017/chilaquiles-verdes-recipe/What to Cook This Augusthttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CookieAndKate/~3/MgMJlSAXGh8/
https://cookieandkate.com/2017/what-to-cook-this-august/#commentsMon, 31 Jul 2017 16:59:59 +0000https://cookieandkate.com/?p=20225August is coming to you one day early! Summer is slipping by far too fast. Farmers’ markets are exploding with goodness this month, and fortunately, much of…

August is coming to you one day early! Summer is slipping by far too fast. Farmers’ markets are exploding with goodness this month, and fortunately, much of the produce growing now doesn’t need much cooking, if at all. Now’s the time to savor a ripe peach over the sink.

I’m feeling conflicted between spending time on some fun projects and recipes, and soaking up sunshine at the nice pool next door that I’ve only visited once this summer. Can I work by the pool? Now there’s an idea. See link no. 1 below. :)

Brandless: Everything is $3 and a lot of it is organic. I’m intrigued!

Sweet Peas Meals: The new menu planning service offered by my friends Maria and Jessica.

Updates on those practical Nordstrom anniversary sale purchases (affiliate links): Keeping the warm vest, because it’s cute and very warm. The leggings are super nice, but I’m in between sizes and I found some better hiking pant options elsewhere. Keeping the SmartWool socks. Also keeping the bra that Ali has been telling me about for ages. It’s so pretty and the design prevents it from doing that annoying fold-over thing after a few washes.

I can’t believe it! It’s been a little over two months since my cookbook baby started landing on your doorsteps. After toiling away on the book for over two years and double-triple-quadruple-octuple-checking every recipe for every tiny detail, I’m completely thrilled and blown away by your enthusiasm for the book. Thank you!

Today, I wanted to share some of the amazing Instagram photos that you have shared with me using the #LoveRealFood hashtag. Please keep them coming! Sometimes, I can’t tell if I love the photo or the caption more. To those who have shared pictures of the book with your pets—you get me. I couldn’t resist sharing those pics in the list below.

Are you enjoying Love Real Food at home? Here are a few ways that you can spread the love:

Tell your friends and family about it! In person or online. Or better yet, make them a recipe from the book and tell them where you got it.

Give the book as a gift! It’s very reasonably priced on Amazon right now. Give it to veggie lovers (or to someone who should maybe eat more vegetables), dog lovers, and to new and experienced home cooks. Everyone, basically.

Look for the book in your local bookstores—if it’s not there, ask them to start carrying it! If it is there, move a few copies to a more prominent location. (I’ve done that, no shame.)

Could you spare a few minutes to write a review with your experience of the book? Those reviews go a long way in the long-term success of the book, and I am so grateful for your kind words. I read every one! Here’s a list of online retailers where you can review the book: Amazon, Anthropologie, Barnes & Noble, BAM!, and Indigo.

Click through to see what everyone’s been cooking from Love Real Food!

]]>https://cookieandkate.com/2017/love-real-food-in-your-kitchens/feed/28https://cookieandkate.com/2017/love-real-food-in-your-kitchens/Colorful Veggie Lettuce Wrapshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CookieAndKate/~3/9AwaSUCeRUw/
https://cookieandkate.com/2017/vegetable-lettuce-wraps-recipe/#commentsMon, 24 Jul 2017 18:41:11 +0000https://cookieandkate.com/?p=25244Hallelujah for a new week! I’m sure it seemed quiet around here last week, but a lot was going on behind the scenes. This website is now…

Hallelujah for a new week! I’m sure it seemed quiet around here last week, but a lot was going on behind the scenes. This website is now operating like it’s 2017, thanks to a new server with better technology. I think it’s all running properly now, but please let me know if see anything strange—pages not loading properly, features not working, and so forth.

Acronyms and technical terms are still swimming around in my head, but I wasn’t totally out of touch last week. My friends Maria and Jessica launched their helpful new menu planning service, Sweet Peas Meals! Definitely check it out.

I was also working on the site in the early a.m. when Nordstrom’s big annual sale launched, so I snagged some practical items for my family’s upcoming trip to Glacier National Park—including this warm vest, more SmartWool socks (the best) and those leggings that everyone tells me are so great (those are affiliate links). I’ll report back on what proves worthy in my August roundup.

Am I the only one who awaits packages in the mail like Christmas morning? It never gets old. Anyway, I’ll quit chatting and tell you about these vegetable lettuce wraps that I promised you last week. It might be hard to tell from the photos, but you’re looking at a crisp butter lettuce leaf topped with edamame hummus, sesame-soy soba noodles, and quick-pickled veggies.

These lettuce wraps are easy to make, fun to look at, and even tastier than they look. They would make a perfect light summer meal or appetizer at your next party. If you plan on having leftovers, just store the individual components separately in the fridge and assemble before serving.

I had a hard time capturing all those vibrant colors in one photograph, so I hope these photos do them proper justice. Please share your results with me on Instagram with the hashtag #cookieandkate!

]]>https://cookieandkate.com/2017/vegetable-lettuce-wraps-recipe/feed/43https://cookieandkate.com/2017/vegetable-lettuce-wraps-recipe/Edamame Hummushttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CookieAndKate/~3/LoN-vHeYxw0/
https://cookieandkate.com/2017/edamame-hummus-recipe/#commentsTue, 18 Jul 2017 18:57:46 +0000https://cookieandkate.com/?p=25203Minneapolis is one delicious city. I haven’t unpacked my bags yet, but I have a list of recipe ideas from the past week and can’t wait to…

Minneapolis is one delicious city. I haven’t unpacked my bags yet, but I have a list of recipe ideas from the past week and can’t wait to recreate them. Let’s procrastinate on unpacking and catching up on emails for a bit longer and talk about a much more pressing matter—edamame hummus. Have you tried it yet?

I got a taste of edamame hummus at a nearby sushi restaurant recently, then I discovered a tubbed version at Trader Joe’s, and then I had to make some myself. It’s rich, lemony, and high in protein (so is the traditional chickpea kind). It’s green, too, thanks to the edamame, which are green soybeans. I buy frozen, shelled edamame and defrost them in a pot of boiling water.

The word “hummus” is derived from the Arabic word for chickpeas, so this chickpea-free hummus is quite untraditional. To balance edamame’s very green flavor and fibrous texture, I had to use a little more tahini, lemon juice and water than my go-to herbed hummus recipe.

Combined with crisp veggies or whole-grain crackers, edamame hummus is a delicious, healthy snack or appetizer. If you need a break from standard hummus (horrors!), please give this one a shot! I’ll be sharing a fun appetizer concept featuring this hummus in a couple of days.

I actually hated avocado for a while when I was younger, but I think it’s because I had been served a brown, stringy, over-ripe avocado—blech! If you have any avocado haters in your life, please present them with the guacamole below and tell me if they still feel the same way about it. I dare you!

Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats, which are the delicious good-for-you variety. Apparently, adding avocado to your meals can actually improve your absorption of carotenoids—yet another reason to love the sweet potato and avocado combo you’ll see a few times in the list below.

We’re starting off with guacamole, of course, and running through a variety of Mexican-inspired recipes, plus avocado pesto toast (you really must try the “everything” avocado toast in my cookbook), and a delicious variety of others. As always, you can peruse my entire library of avocado recipes here.

“Best. Guac. Ever. And the onion trick worked perfect. Made it on Monday and finished on Thursday. It was uncovered daily and still did not turn brown. And now I have the half onion for my next batch. Thanks Kate! Oh, and my husband can’t do cilantro (the genetic soap thing) so I just omitted. Thankfully he doesn’t hate coriander.” – Heather